Thermodynamically consistent incorporation of entanglement spatial fluctuations in the slip-link model

We evaluate the thermodynamic consistency of the anisotropic mobile slip-link model for entangled flexible polymers. The level of description is that of a single chain, whose interactions with other chains are coarse grained to discrete entanglements. The dynamics of the model consist of the motion of entanglements through space and of the chain through the entanglements, as well as the creation and destruction of entanglements, which are implemented in a mean-field way. Entanglements are modeled as discrete slip links, whose spatial positions are confined by quadratic potentials. The confinement potentials move with the macroscopic velocity field, hence the entanglements fluctuate around purely affine motion. We allow for anisotropy of these fluctuations, described by a set of shape tensors. By casting the model in the form of the general equation for the nonequilibrium reversible-irreversible coupling from nonequilibrium thermodynamics, we show that (i) since the confinement potentials contribute to the chain free energy, they must also contribute to the stress tensor, (ii) these stress contributions are of two kinds: one related to the virtual springs connecting the slip links to the centers of the confinement potentials and the other related to the shape tensors, and (iii) these two kinds of stress contributions cancel each other if the confinement potentials become anisotropic in flow, according to a lower-convected evolution of the confinement strength or, equivalently, an upper-convected evolution of the shape tensors of the entanglement spatial fluctuations. In previous publications, we have shown that this cancellation is necessary for the model to obey the stress-optical rule and the Green-Kubo relation, and simultaneously to agree with plateau modulus predictions of multichain models and simulations.

Directed Assembly of Soft Colloids through Rapid Solvent Exchange

We studied the directed assembly of soft nanoparticles through rapid micromixing of polymers in solution with a nonsolvent. Both experiments and computer simulations were performed to elucidate the underlying physics and to investigate the role of various process parameters. In particular, we discovered that no external stabilizing agents or charged end groups are required to keep the colloids separated from each other when water is used as the nonsolvent. Furthermore, the size of the nanoparticles can be reliably tuned through the mixing rate and the ratio between polymer solution and nonsolvent. Our results demonstrate that this mechanism is highly promising for the mass fabrication of uniformly sized colloidal particles, using a wide variety of polymeric feed materials.

Megasupramolecules for safer, cleaner fuel by end association of long telechelic polymers

We used statistical mechanics to design polymers that defy conventional wisdom by self-assembling into “megasupramolecules” (≥5000 kg/mol) at low concentration (≤0.3 weight percent). Theoretical treatment of the distribution of individual subunits—end-functional polymers—among cyclic and linear supramolecules (ring-chain equilibrium) predicts that megasupramolecules can form at low total polymer concentration if, and only if, the backbones are long (>400 kg/mol) and end-association strength is optimal. Viscometry and scattering measurements of long telechelic polymers having polycyclooctadiene backbones and acid or amine end groups verify the formation of megasupramolecules. They control misting and reduce drag in the same manner as ultralong covalent polymers. With individual building blocks short enough to avoid hydrodynamic chain scission (weight-average molecular weights of 400 to 1000 kg/mol) and reversible linkages that protect covalent bonds, these megasupramolecules overcome the obstacles of shear degradation and engine incompatibility.

Assistant effect of poly(methyl methacrylate)-grafted carbon nanotubes on the beta polymorph of poly(vinylidene fluoride) during microinjection

A facial way to fabricate an electroactive PVDF device directly through melt processing.

Generation of Well-Relaxed All-Atom Models of Large Molecular Weight Polymer Melts: A Hybrid Particle-Continuum Approach Based on Particle-Field Molecular Dynamics Simulations

A procedure based on Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations employing soft potentials derived from self-consistent field (SCF) theory (named MD-SCF) able to generate well-relaxed all-atom structures of polymer melts is proposed. All-atom structures having structural correlations indistinguishable from ones obtained by long MD relaxations have been obtained for poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) melts. The proposed procedure leads to computational costs mainly related on system size rather than to the chain length. Several advantages of the proposed procedure over current coarse-graining/reverse mapping strategies are apparent. No parametrization is needed to generate relaxed structures of different polymers at different scales or resolutions. There is no need for special algorithms or back-mapping schemes to change the resolution of the models. This characteristic makes the procedure general and its extension to other polymer architectures straightforward. A similar procedure can be easily extended to the generation of all-atom structures of block copolymer melts and polymer nanocomposites.